Viewpoints
by bunengshuo
Summary: It didn't matter what others saw. All that mattered was what they saw in each other.
1. What She Sees

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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No one in Konoha would ever question the superiority of his ninja skills. After all, he was the only one would could hold his own against the new, rather young, Hokage. Sure he made a mistake. But it was quickly forgotten. They believed that he was sent on an unranked mission the entire time. He came back to the village as a hero of some sort. The intel he provided and the fact he had killed the Snake Lord only added to this testimony.

His personality, on the other hand, had not changed. He was still infamous for his cold demeanor. His ever stoic face lacked any emotion whatsoever. The villagers may have praised his skills but they shrank away from him. He was put on a pedalstool, so high that they feared him.

But she knew that was all gossip. Hurtful at times, but it was false gossip. She knew the truth.

He wasn't as strong as everyone thought he was. No doubt on a mission, he outranked her. He was faster. He could last longer. In combat he would always win. But she never feared him as the others did. She didn't because she knew that there was nothing to be afraid of.

She saw how loyal he was to Naruto, not that he would ever admit it of course. He never questioned the missions given to him, no matter how easy they may have seemed. She saw how he was nicer to Sakura. After she had saved his life and healed his wounds, he didn't look down on her as he used to. He respected her. She saw how he looked at his former sensei with a little more pride. Kakashi was more of a father figure to him now. Granted their still strained relationship was far from perfect. But she noted how he would seek his mentor out at times. When he returned, his mood was lighter, relieved in a sense. The walls he had worked so hard to build slowly started to fall. In reality, he was the one who was scared. He was afraid others would hurt him as he had been hurt so deeply before. But she reassured him that would never happen. They loved him. She loved him.

She was with him when Naruto told him the truth of the Uchiha massacre. The need for revenge suddenly vanished. The hatred for his older brother that fueled his very being all of a sudden disappeared. Never had she seem him so lost, so defeated. She held on to him the entire night.

Yet life moved on.

But she knew at certain times the sadness overwhelmed him. He often visited their family grave. He brought lilies for his mother, who he felt was the greatest victim in this tragedy. He also brought flowers for his brother. It was the least he could do for his self-less brother.

It wasn't.

He named their first child after him. Little Itachi looked exactly like his father with dark hair and dark coal eyes. She saw how his face softened when he held their tiny child in his arms for the first time. She noticed that he laughed, maybe more of a chuckle, when their son decided girls were disgusting. She didn't miss the fact he smiled whenever they sat at the dinner table together. She felt agitated when he always asked Neji to basically stalk them when he was out on a mission. But she understood it was because he cared too much.

When their second child came, it was only right to name her after his mother. That girl already had him wrapped around her little finger. It was comical to watch the feared ANBU captain being bossed around by a 5-year old girl.

As Hinata Uchiha laid in their bed, she could feel some pain in her tired bones. Her hair had more white than any other color. She heard her husband of 35 years come into the bedroom.

"How was Itachi?"

"Hn. I still can't believe he chose the dobe's daughter."

"You know that she is the only one who can exert any sort of influence on him. Someone has to keep that boy from killing himself."

"I guess you approve."

"I like her."

"Hn. They want a spring wedding."

"That's in 2 months. I should give her my kimono."

"Maybe you should save it instead."

"Good point. I heard your daughter and Ino's son have been spending quite a bit of time together."

"Oh?"

"Think about it tomorrow dear. I don't think you can handle it."

"Hn. Good night." She felt him pull her closer, their bodies now touching. He clung to her as if his life depended on it.

"Love you." She always whispered it to him as if it was their secret. She felt him relax slightly but never fully releasing her. It was almost as if he was scared she would disappear.

"Hn." With a soft kiss on her neck, Hinata soon fell asleep. Her last thought was how only she got to see Sasuke Uchiha for who he really was. A man who put on a strong front to cover up the broken pieces inside. A man terrified of losing things precious to him. A man who doesn't use words to express his emotions but uses subtle actions instead. A man who she loved dearly.


	2. What He Sees

In the uncaring eyes of her father, she would never be good enough to be the leader of their oh-so-prestigious clan. How was he to cover up such a disgrace? In the scrutinizing eyes of the elders, she was the mistake. She should have been better, stronger, more like her younger sister. They scoffed at her pitiful attempt on herbal medicine. What good would such ointments and powders do on a mission if she couldn't even defend herself in simple combat? In the gossiping eyes of the villagers, they were ashamed of her. How could someone with such a strong gene pool come out with such weak genes?

No one would want her. She had nothing to offer. She was failure.

It often angered him when the villagers said those things about her. It took great self-control not to silence them. They had no right to talk about her like that. They were the blind ones.

There was no question that he was better than her in terms of actual combat. She rarely took missions at all. One was more likely to find her in the garden or the hospital. In fact he preferred it that. It wasn't because he thought she was too weak.

The ointments that she made saved him more than once. After all, how good could a ninja be if his skin irritated him all the time? Even Sakura's medical abilities provided no cure for the dobe accidentally choosing to sleep next to poison ivy. Her ointments were often in high demand. Everyone knew that once Sakura stopped life-threatening injuries, her ointments were to be applied after. It ensured a speedy recovery.

She was too much of an asset to the village to be put in harm's way.

It amazed him how she still showed such respect for her father. That despicable man immediately began to think how their marriage, their offspring, could be used to his advantage. Despite the man's devious schemes, she still visited him regularly once age caught up with him. She even gave that man the honor of meeting their son and daughter. He couldn't understand how she could shed tears of sadness at that man's funeral. The only conclusion he could reach was that she had a very forgiving heart.

What strength it must require to forgive the man who had hurt her so.

When he learned about details of the Uchiha massacre, she cried the tears because he was the one too weak to do so. It was the first night they fell asleep together. The smell of lavender – her scent – gave him a soothing feeling he had not felt since he was young. He quickly became addicted to it.

He appreciated the fact she never sought him out when he visited the grave of his mother and brother. She was always waiting for him at their home. Only she had enough power to rescue him out of those dark times. He wasn't quite sure what she did. But whatever it was, she gave him the motivation to continue on, to honor his brother's last wish.

With the birth of their son, he learned a new meaning to the word "pain." The fact that she could go through the entire birthing process was a miracle in itself. There was no way he could endure through that kind of pain. The end result was worth it. He couldn't have been more proud of her or of his son.

But that was just the beginning.

He couldn't even start to fathom the energy required to take care of child. She constantly ran after their energetic boy, trying her best to keep him out of trouble. She still found the time to clean their house, wash their clothes, and prepare food. With the birth of their second child, things only got busier.

Yet she never complained. Not once the entire time.

He felt she had superior chakra control. So many things to do and yet she did them all with grace and ease.

Sasuke Uchiha blew out the candle and let the moonlight illuminate their room. He reached for her and pulled her closer to him. He needed her next to him or else he couldn't sleep. He craved her warmth.

"You know what Mikoto told me today?"

"Hn."

"They picked out the name of their first child."

"And?"

"They are going to name him after you."

"That was unexpected."

"But an honor."

"Yes. You raised her well."

"We worked together."

"Hn. I feel so old now."

"It's all right as long we grow old together. Night. Love you." She kissed his cheek.

"Hn." It didn't matter what anyone else said. It didn't matter what anyone else saw. Because he knew that Hinata Uchiha was the one who gave him strength. She was the woman who never gave up on him. She was the glue that kept their family together. She was the woman, the only woman, he could ever love so deeply.


End file.
